1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a joint spanning construction for bridges or similar structures of the type in which sealing bodies made of resilient rubber material are inserted from above, in the form of beading, so as to be flush with the surface of the road in recesses of sills or, should the occasion arise, in movable open-topped intermediate girders, and secured against lifting out by retainer bodies which are basically of round cross-section and fit partly in a wall of the associated recess and partly in the beading.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A joint spanning construction of this type is disclosed in German Patent Specification AS No. 28 34 361. The sills or intermediate girders are with this construction of fork-shaped design and are completely covered by the sealing bodies in each case. In order to ensure that the round retainer bodies can also be secured in their effective position during the insertion of the beading, notches are provided in the sealing body above the recesses in the beading so that the free edges of the sealing body where applicable can be turned back.
The fork-shaped design of the sills provides a relatively thick section in height, which is further increased by the section of the sealing body lying on the ends of the free flanges. The sills of the prior art are still unsuitable, therefore, for installation in existing structures, because the relatively thick section requires extensive chiseling or chipping out of the edges of the concrete or asphalt cement, which is not only expensive and time consuming but can lead to structural damage as well.
Relatively flat sealing bodies are also disclosed in German Patent Specification OS No. 25 16 427, which relates to to a construction which comprises U-shaped, bent-up brackets surrounding the beading, but these brackets are not designed so that they can be used as bearers on the structure.